170 repatriated from Libya

A total of 170 Bangladeshis were repatriated home from Libya yesterday.

The Bangladesh embassy in Libya, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment, in cooperation with the Libyan government and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) arranged the repatriation.

Officials from these relevant ministries and IOM received them at Dhaka airport, foreign ministry said in a statement.

The IOM provided each returnee with travel allowance, food supplies, primary medical care, and temporary shelter arrangements.

Most of the returnees entered Libya illegally with the assistance of human traffickers in an attempt to reach Europe by sea, according to a foreign ministry statement.

Many of them alleged that they were subjected to kidnapping and torture at different times while staying in Libya.